The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-15
A MINING ExpRRr,s STORY.
How Three Young Cornishmen Found
a Big Fortune
From Die st. Louis Globe Democrat.

From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Cornishman is usually content to let
some one else discover the mine, own and
operate it, he being satisfied with the
wages he can get for sinking the shaft or
following the knife blade vein. Their
Judgment on ore or quartz is nearly invari-
ably correct and the mine owner seldom
continues to persevere after receiving
suggestion from them that it is of no
use
The only deviation from these character
lstcs that Mr. Best could recall was in the
case of three young men from Cornwall
VINO came out several years ago With am
bltion and energy enough TO make several
fortunes They proSpected considerably in
various portions of the State without sue
cess, and finally went TO work for Mr.. Best
IN one OF his Gilpin county mines. Like all
Cornshmen they were good miners, worked
hard and saved money. After little
while, however, they quit working in the
mines and went to prospecting again. The
hte OF pvospector was not very encour-
aging one, but the three brothers seemed
never to grow weary of It, keeping up their
spirits with the hope of some time finding a
fortune. They would bring in samples oc-
caslonally that would assay well, but moth
ing more would be heard of the discovery,
One day they came in after a couple of
weeks absence and made inquiries about the
ownerShipS of an abandoned shaft three
miles northwest of Central City. They
found the owner, and he was willing to sell
or lease the property on shares. He had
sunk more money in it than he could afford
to, and had reluctantly concluded that the
best thing to do was to dispose of it or leave
1t alone. He could not sell worthless
mine, and so the property was abandoned.
In the West these worthless properties are
called ''holes in the ground" and they
abound in mining countries. The brothers
had been down in the abandoned shaft and
through its slopes and drifts. They had
sunk the shaft few feet deeper and sud
denly struck the vein the owner had long
sought but never found. 1t was covered up
and the shaft partially flooded by the melt
ing SHOWS. The proposition to lease was
accepted, the owner to have 25 per cent. of
the output and the brothers rs. They had
no money to purchase machinery and so the
old-fashioned windlass was put up and a
bucket made out of half barrel. With this
they slowly emptied the shaft of water, and
after two weeks steady work were able to
go down and open the vein. 1t proved rich
beyond all expectation, and the first month
they took out 100000 without assistance.
The strike was soon known all over that
section, and they had plenty of opportuni
ties to sell their lease. Knowing that all
mines must cap sooner or later, they CON
cluded to take no risks and disposed of
| their lease interest for S225. 900, leaving
them just 100000 each When the sale
was consummated three happier brothers
were never seen. They made no more at
tempts at mining. but soon started for their
old home in Cornwall. The mine was
worked by the new company, but the amount
paid for it was never realized. 1t is idle
now.